The joyful chorus of spring peepers was a reassuring sound. The world at large might be chaotic, but as far as our sweet amphibian neighbors were concerned, it was time for exuberant romance. It always amazes me how creatures the size of my thumbnail could fill the evening with their songs.

The rain continues here in northeast Wisconsin, but at least it's not freezing. Conditions today are wet with a side of wet. The ducks and frogs are thrilled, as evidenced by the happy quacking during the day and lively trilling at night.

The chickens are not as thrilled, but my eldest moved them to their summer run last night, so they've taken to exploring their new digs in between the storms. The summer run is higher ground that the winter run, so they have less mud to contend with, as is their preference.

In our climate, we prefer to keep the hens in an insulated coop for winter. Once temps reliably get above freezing (for the most part) we have portable coops in other areas of the yard. This gives the main run a chance to recover, and allows the ladies more variety in their grazing. The first thing they did after barreling out the doors this morning was start tucking in grass.

I went to a bridal shower yesterday for a lovely young lady. It reminded me that this getting older business is still strange at times. I can remember the bride to be as a child, leading a rather large bull around the yard by sheer force of will, not muscle. The bull knew who he was required to follow, even though the human in front of him look slight enough that a strong wind might carry her away. (Even then, the young lady was tough as nails, and neither the wind nor the bull stood a chance.)

When you're old enough to witness multiple generations going through the transitions of life, it changes your perspective. Many things that seemed so pressing in younger years no longer demand top priority, while other things that once slipped by barely noticed give you pause.

This will sound strange, but as I was sitting at the gathering, I had an urge to shift to a squat position, because I'd been sitting too long. I watched this video earlier in the week about how your chair is aging you, and now I keep rolling around in my head how much more flexible I used to be. (Note - the video probably uses AI, but the content is reasonable.)

I'm not ready to give up my desk yet, but I have started making more of an effort to squat, kneel, and sit on the floor. Hanging out with the neighbor kids, they do these things without thinking. I want to regain some of that mobility. I figure as long as I'm breathing, there's room for improvement. This brings us to the sit-to-rise test.

The sit-to-rise test is a simple way to assess overall mobility, strength, balance, and flexibility.

How it works:

• Stand upright, then sit down on the floor.
• Stand back up again.
• Try to do both without using your hands, arms, or knees for support. (May the odds be ever in your favor. Be mindful of your movements, and don't push so hard that you risk injury.)

Scoring (0–10 scale):

• You start with 10 points (5 for sitting, 5 for rising).
• Subtract 1 point each time you use a hand, forearm, knee, or other support.
• Subtract 0.5 points for any loss of balance or wobbling.

Why it matters:

• It reflects real-life functional fitness — how well your body works as a whole.
• Research has shown that better scores are associated with lower risk of falls and longer lifespan.

It’s quick, requires no equipment, and gives a good snapshot of how well your body can handle everyday movement.

This Week’s Resilience & Abundance Boost

• Try the sit-to-rise test. Sit down on the floor and stand back up without using your hands or knees if you can. It’s a simple way to check strength, balance, and mobility.
• Notice what your body tells you. If it’s challenging, that’s useful information — not failure. It shows where to build strength and stability.
• Practice a little at a time. Gentle stretching, squats, and balance work can improve your ability to move confidently.
• Switch up everyday activities. If you're watching a movie, reading a book, or weeding in the garden, try squatting or kneeling instead of sitting or bending.
• Track your progress. Revisit the test every so often — small improvements add up to greater independence over time.

Resilience isn’t just mindset or food storage — it’s how well our bodies carry us through daily life.

All our best to you and yours,

Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)

This week's featured articles...

I was talking to a friend of mine about UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections), and decided to put together a list of home remedies for treating and preventing UTIs.

With gardening season getting underway, I figured it was also a good time to update our lotion bar recipe article. These lotion bars are great for hard working hands.

These homemade wheat thins are easy to make and have a satisfying crunch.

When you're planting the garden, you may want to tuck a little chamomile in along an edge. It's a wonderful soothing herb, and it's great companion plant, attracting pollinators and parasitic wasps. We have a full chamomile guide for growing and use here.

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